Hulu Bags Exclusive Rights to South Park Streaming

South Park fans will now need a Hulu Plus subscription to enjoy the show’s massive back catalog online after the premium video streaming service bagged exclusive rights to all 17 seasons in a deal worth more than $80 million.

Hulu will offer over 240 episodes of the hit cartoon, with the latest episodes available immediately after they are broadcast on Comedy Central. Season 17 will also be available for streaming on SouthParkStudios.com — along with 30 selected episodes from the past.

To stream the massive back catalog in all its glory, however, you’ll need a Hulu Plus subscription priced at $7.99 a month. South Park will no longer be available on Netflix, or indeed other rival video streaming services.

South Park’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, announced the three-year partnership onstage at the Television Critics Association’s convention on Saturday afternoon, and it’s nothing but good news for fans of the show (even if they do have to pay for Hulu Plus). The $80 million payout means Cartman and co. will return “for years to come,” The New York Times reports.

The deal is also likely to prove incredibly lucrative for Hulu, which will be hoping that exclusive rights to South Park results in more subscribers. It’s the company’s biggest venture to date, and it shows a distinct desire to step up its fight against rivals like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.

“This is a tent pole that will help us cut through the clutter; it’s a great deal for both of us,” Craig Erwich, head of content at Hulu, told The Times. “This is a deal for all of the people who have ever watched ‘South Park.’ And that’s a lot of people.”

Hulu offers a one-week trial for new customers, so if you haven’t already, sign up now and get on down to South Park.